Great War Western Front Military Medal group awarded to Private later Lance Corporal C.J. Brett, 6th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment who saw service on the Western Front from 18th March 1915, and would go on to be awarded the Military Medal in the London Gazette of 17th April 1917 which covers awards for February 1917. The only notable action the battalion appears to have been involved in during February 1917 was a large scale trench raid in the Ypres Salient on 20th February 1917, it is likely therefore this award is for that raid. Brett would later suffer a gun shot wound at the Battle of Cambrai on 30th November 1917, from which he would later recover to be demobilised.
Group of 4: Military Medal, GVR, (320755 L.CPL. C.J. BRETT. 6/LOND.R.) 1914-1915 Star; (2557 PTE. C.J. BRETT. 6-LOND.R.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (2557 PTE. C.J. BRETT. 6-LOND.R.)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Charles Brett saw service as a Private and later Lance Corporal (No. 2557, later No. 320755) with the 6th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment on the Western Front from 18th March 1915, and would go on to be awarded the Military Medal in the London Gazette of 17th April 1917 which covers awards for February 1917, he would later be wounded in action on 30th November 1917 when he suffered a gun shot wound to the testicles., but would recover and survive the war before later being demobilised.
Thoe only major action it appears that the 1st/6th Battalion, London Regiment was involved in during February 1917 was in the Ypres salient when On 20 February 1917 the 1/6th carried out a large-scale trench raid involving all four rifle companies with attached sappers from 520 Company Royal Engineers and 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company, a total of 20 officers and 640 other ranks. Dummy raids, mines and bombardments on neighbouring sections of the line were used to deceive the enemy. A Stokes mortar barrage on the German front line cut the wire in front of the attack and kept the defenders in their dugouts, while field guns laid a box barrage to seal off the area attacked. The attack went in at 17.00, led by the second-in-command of 1/6th sounding a hunting horn, and met almost no hostile fire. A record number of prisoners were taken, dugouts, emplacements and a mine shaft were destroyed, and considerable intelligence gained. After about an hour, the raiders retired to their own lines as dusk fell.
